Rail-joint.



Patented ar. 23, 19115.

G. H. MARTIN.

BAIL JOINT.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY 9, 1914.

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rn strains RAIL-JOINT.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

Application filed July 9, 1914. Serial No. 849,906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE H. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, iesiding at Oklahoma city, in the county of Oklahoma and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to rail joints, and one of the principal objects thereof is to provide a joint so constructed as to securely maintain the rail ends in position, without the use of bolts and nuts, which as is well known, have-'av tendency to become loosened by the vibration given the joints upon passage of rolling stock thereover.

Another object of the invention is to provide a joint including a base plate adapted to underlie the rail ends, and fish plates adapted to be secured to the base plate, the fish plates being provided with braces,ineans being provided for securing the parts together without the use of bolts and nuts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a joint of the class described, which will be simple, durable, efficient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in View which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which- Figure l represents a plan view of a portion of railroad track showing my improved railjoint in place thereon. Fig. 2 represents a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the joint on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally ofthe track on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of `Fig. 1', showing a portion of the joint in inside elevational view. Fig. 4 represents a plan view of the joint, the rail web being shown in section, and the inside fish plate having been removed. Fig. 5 represents a vertical transverse sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. -6 represents a top plan view 'of the brace engaging end of the inner plate.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, each joint includes a fiat base plate 5, having an upwardly extending flange 6 formed along one edge thereof, said plate adapted to underlie and form a seat for the base flanges of the rail ends, and as indicated in Fig. l the base plates are arranged so that the flanges 6 are disposed on the outer sides of the rails.

An outer fish plate 7 is secured to base plate 5, and has an upper portion 8 embracing the web 9 of the rail ends, and a lower portion 10 which engages upon the outer base fiange 11 of the rail ends, said portion 10 entending beyond the base fiange 1l to provide a shoulder 12 disposed between the base fiaiiges 11 and the flange (i. Disposed upon the outer fish plate 7 at its ends and at its central portion, are braces consisting of substantially heavy web portions 13 having formed integrally therewith oppositely extending fianges 14 which are of an angular shape and adapted to snugly fit upon the outer face of the sli plate 7. The braces are secured at their upper portions to the fish plate 7 by means of rivets 15 extending through portion 8 of said plate and through the upper portions of the brace anges 14. The lower portions of the braces are secured to the outer fish plate 7, by means of rives 16, which rivets extend through the lower portions of the brace flanges 14, through the shoulder 12, and through the base plate 5 adjacent flange 6, whereby to thoroughly secure the outer fish plate to the base plate. at the sime time serving to secure the braces to said outer plate. The fiange 6 is of such a height as to embrace and act as an anchorage for the outer lower edges of the fish plate, braces and brace flanges. i

rllhe inner fish plate 17 which in cross section is similar to plate 7, is removably positioned upon base plate in such manner as to engage the inner faces of the rail web and base flange. To one end, and to the central portion of the inner plate 17, are secured braces 18 provided with brace fianges 19,y

which braces and flanges are similar to those on plate 7, and the brace fianges 19 are secured to the inner fish plate at the upper and lower portions by means of the rivets 20 and 2l respectively, and intermediate the end portions by the rivets 22. None of the rivets securing the inner plate and braces together extend through the hase plate 5, since the inner fish plate as stated before is movably positioned on said base plate, so that the rail ends may be engaged against the outer fish plate and base plate when putting the joint in place.

Secured directly to the base plate 5 at one end thereof, and in such position as to be disposed on the inside of the adjacent track rail, is a brace 23 which is similar in shape to the other braces, and which is provided on one side adjacent the end of the base plate, with a flange 24. The flange extends the length of the brace 23, and on the opposite side is a shorter flange 25, which is of a length to extend between the adjacent longitudinal edge of the brace plate and the adjacent edge of the base flange of the rail, said flanges 2t and 25 being secured directly to said base plate by means of rivets 26. The bottom and side edges 27 and 28 respectively of brace 23 are spaced from the adjacent faces of the rail flange and web, a distance equal to the thickness of the inside fish plate 17, so that the end of' said plate not provided with'one of the braces 18, may be inserted between brace 23 and the rail, in assembling the joint. The end of fish plate 17 adjacent brace 23 is cut away at 29 to engage the edges of the flange 25, and at 30 to abut against the inner edge of the flange 24, where the latter depends below the lower edge 27 of the brace.

The outer fish plate -7 is provided with openings 31, which openings are in vertical alinement with similar ones in the base plate 5, for receiving rail spikes 32 whereby the outer side of the joint may be secured to the cross ties 33. As indicated in F ig. 4 a portion of base plate 5 disposed on the inside of the'rear ends is provided with similar spike receiving openings 34C. The openings in the base plate on each side of the rails are adapted to register with notches 35 formed in the edges of' the base flange 11 of the rail whereby when the spikes are in place they will engage said notches to prevent longin tudinal movement of the rails relative to the base plate. rIhe inside fish plate 17 is provided with spike receiving openings which when the spikes are driven home are brought into alinement with the openings 34, the relative position of the openings in the inner fish plate and base plate being such that during the operation of driving the spikes, said spikes engage the inner edges of the fish plate openings and the outer edges of the base plate openings whereby said sh plate is forced into rigid engagement with the rail as the spike is driven. l p

vCarried by the outer fish plate 7 are headed rivets 36 which are adapted to be extended through openings 37 in the rail web 9, and through registering openings in the upper portion of the inner plate 17, the function of rivets 36 being to prevent longitudinal movement of the rail ends relatively to the joint. And by reason of the pro vision of these rivets the spike receiving openings may be so disposed'tli-.it the spikes do not engage thc rail base, if so desired.

A joint constructed according to my invention may be comparatively cheaply manufactured, and by reason of the absence of bolts and nuts which might become loosened by vibration the joint provides an eX- tremely safe connection for the rail ends. Further advantages accruing to the joint are the facts that it may be installed in a comparatively short time, and without the requirement of special tools or of skilled labor, and that no more attention or upkeep is necessitated than that which is ordinarily required in the proper care of a railroad track.

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I may desire to make such changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts thereof as do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A rail joint comprising a fiat base plate adapted to underlie adjacent rail ends, said plate provided along its longitudinal edge on the outside of said rail ends with an upwardly extending fiange, an outer fish plate adapted to engage the outer faces of the web and base of the rail, said outer fish plate provided with a shoulder adapted to be disposed betweennthe outer edges of the bases of the rail ends and said upwardly extending flange, braces secured at intervals to said outer sh plate, said braces each including a. web portion substantially triangular in shape provided with oppositely eX- tending angular flanges adapted to engage the fish plate throughout the width of the latter, rivets connecting the upper portions of said flanges with said fish plate, and rivets extending through and connecting the lower portions of the flanges, the shoulder portion of the fish plate and said base plate adjacent the upwardly extending flange, an inner fish plate adapted to be removably secured to the base plate on the inner side of the rail ends, braces similar to first mentioned braces secured at spaced intervals to said inner fish plate except at one end thereof,.a brace secured to the base plate and adapted to engage over the unoccupied end of the inner fish plate, said brace plate being out away to engage the flanges of said last brace, and adapted to be engaged between said brace and the adjacent rail end, both of said fish plates and said base plate being provided with alining openings adapted to receive spikes whereby to secure the joint to the cross ties of a track, and rivets carried by the outer fish plate and adapted to extend `through openings in the webs of the adjacent rail ends and through alining openings in the inner fish plate.

2. A rail joint comprising a base plate adapted to underlie adjacent rail ends, said maaiea plate provided with an upwardly extending flange along one edge thereof, an outer fish plate adaptedto engage the rail ends and having a shouldered portion disposed between said rail ends and said upwardly eX- -tending flange, braces secured to said outer fish plate, means for securing said outer fish plate to said base plate,'an inner fish plate adapted to be 'removably disposed on said base plate in engagement with said rail ends, braces secured to said inner sh pla-te, a brace secured to said base plate, and'ada ted to engage over a portionI of the inner sh plate, both of said fish plates and said base plates adapted to be engaged by spikes whereby to secure said of a track.

3. A rail joint comprising abase plate adapted `to underlie adjacent rail ends, a flange provided along one edge of said plate, an outer fish plate adapted to engage said rail ends, said fish plate adaptedoto abut against said flange, braces secured to said outer fish plate, and abutting against said upwardly extending flange, means for securing said outer fish plate to said base plate, .an inner fish plate, a brace secured Ato Said base plate, said inner fish plate adapted joint to the cross ties to be engaged between the brace and adjacent rail, means for securing said fish plates and base plate to the cross ties of a track, and means connecting the fish plates through the webs of the rail ends for preventing relative longitudinal movement of' the latter.

4. A rail joint comprising aybase plate adapted to underlie adjacent rail ends, means for engaging the rail ends on one side, a fish plate adapted to engage the rail ends on the opposite side, a brace carried by the base plate and having a lower portion in spaced relation to and overhanging the base flange of' the adjacent rail, a flange depending below the lower brace portion at each end thereof and engaging upon the said base flange, said fish plate at one end being cutaway to partially engage said depending flanges for preventing lateral movement of the fish plate, said fish plate partially extending between the upper portion of the brace and the adjacent rail web.

GEORGE HAYWARD MARTIN.

Witnesses:

lit. L. HARMON, j A. E. SoHwEDEs. 

